Surgical strikes should not be publicised, says Kanhaiya Kumar

Bhubaneswar: Student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Monday said surgical strikes should not be publicised as political parties might use it as an election issue.

File image of Kanhaiya Kumar. PTI

"Surgical strikes should not be made public. This has an adverse impact on the society. People may misuse and make it an election issue in the coming state polls," Kumar, who in February was arrested and charged with sedition for allegedly raising anti-India slogans in JNU campus, told reporters.

Earlier addressing an 'Azadi Samavesh' here to mark the completion of 80 years of All India Student Federation (AISF), he thanked Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for distancing themselves from the BJP.

Criticising the Centre for inflation, unemployment and illiteracy, the former JNU students union president said he had no will to join politics and preferred to be a teacher in future.

Police took about 24 ABVP activists into custody while they were picketing and showing black flags to Kanhaiya Kumar.